The Best Short Animated Film You’ll See Today: “Fred”

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Fred is a personal stop motion short. It got finished thanks to many friends, bank loans, and credit cards. I devoted spare time between jobs, moving the sets and puppets from one city to the next zig-zagging the west coast from LA to Seattle.

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117 comments
1 Charles Johnson  Sat, May 18, 2013 5:56:27pm

This is one of the best films Vimeo has featured recently. Excellent writing and animation.

2 Kragar  Sat, May 18, 2013 6:08:02pm

Republican accidentally debunks GOP narrative at IRS hearing

At the hearing, outgoing acting IRS commissioner Steve Miller repeatedly objected to the use of the word “targeting.” He said the so-called “be on the lookout” (BOLO) list was an “inappropriate” organizational tool or “shortcut” that IRS staff used to find potential political cases. Miller claimed the tea party groups would have be subjected to extra scrutiny regardless of the BOLO list.

“If the targeting wasn’t targeting, if the targeting wasn’t based on philosophy, how come only conservatives got snagged?” Roskam confidently asked.

“They didn’t, sir,” Miller responded. “Organizations of all walks and all persuasions were pulled in. That’s shown by the fact that only 70 of the 300 organizations were tea party organizations, of the ones that were looked at by TIGTA [Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration].”

Roskam angrily cut off Miller and asserted his statement was at odds with the inspector general’s testimony, then ended his questioning.

3 ProTARDISLiberal  Sat, May 18, 2013 6:19:23pm

River redeemed herself in my eyes, though how the hell she is projecting herself outside the Library is an open question.

What I want to see is what the Paternoster Gang saw in that scene.

In addition, Clara just made herself the best companion since Rose at least.

She essentially killed herself so the Doctor could live, and thankfully, Doctor returned the favor without the death.

Now, as to John Hurt/Ollivander. Three theories:

1: Lost #9-The one who destroyed Gallifrey and the Dalek Attack Force at the end of the war. Killing 10 Billion would fit with that.

2: A Watcher between 8 & 9, or perhaps a very deformed 8, or unstable 9- essentially a derivative of the above, but without a neglected regeneration.

3: The Valeyard-Certainly seems to be warped, as stated by the Master and the 6th Doctor.

4:Something Else Entirely-Remember, during 7ths run, the Doctor seemed quite aware of some not known to the audience past. Maybe the Cartmel Masterplan has come back.

In direct Doctor Who News, it does seem that the next series will be Moffat’s Last, the season after that may see the Doctor’s Regeneration. As for the 12 Regenerations rule, consider this-

In Let’s Kill Hitler River transfers remaining regeneration to him to save him from the poison.

That is 10 Regenerations that were remaining. Let’s assume 1 was used to keep the Doctor from Dying, and the worst case scenario, that John Hurt represents 9th form of the individual nicknamed the Doctor. That brings the remaining regenerations down to 8.

We likely have 8-9 Regenerations left, if it is needed. However, we have seen where the Doctor will die, and his tomb. Along with the remains that he will leave. This series now has a definite end.

4 Stanghazi  Sat, May 18, 2013 6:32:40pm

The cow rug with the smushed udders made me lol.

5 dragonath  Sat, May 18, 2013 6:41:35pm

Afghan legislators block law protecting women

Measures would have banned violence against women, child marriages

6 jaunte  Sat, May 18, 2013 6:47:59pm

Jon Karl got played by a confidential source and now ABC News
has a big Benghazi problem

Jay Rosen:
“I am going to be brief here because for anyone closely following the story of the Benghazi talking points these facts are well known. And if you’re not following the story closely, you probably don’t care. If you do care, but aren’t following it, just click the links below and you can get caught up.”

7 Gus  Sat, May 18, 2013 6:51:54pm

re: #5 dragonath

Afghan legislators block law protecting women

Many cheered when the last troops left Iraq. Myself, I will cheer even louder when we leave that hell hole.

8 jaunte  Sat, May 18, 2013 6:53:27pm
9 Gus  Sat, May 18, 2013 7:05:56pm
10 Cheechako  Sat, May 18, 2013 7:07:03pm

Everyone got their PowerBall tickets?

11 Gus  Sat, May 18, 2013 7:07:09pm

re: #8 jaunte

IRS. Heh.

12 Gus  Sat, May 18, 2013 7:08:44pm

I must be on some alternative universe in which the IRS is seen as the good guys.

13 Gus  Sat, May 18, 2013 7:16:26pm

Zzzzzz.

15 Lidane  Sat, May 18, 2013 7:22:08pm
16 Gus  Sat, May 18, 2013 7:32:21pm

re: #15 Lidane

More fodder for the yuppie Manhattanite hypochondriacs swilling on red wine, smoking pot, and grilling red meat. Seriously, who cares.

17 ProTARDISLiberal  Sat, May 18, 2013 7:41:18pm

I do have to give the BBC and Moffat this month’s “Biggest Cockbag in the World Award” for giving us a cliff-hanger that won’t be solved for 6 damn months!!!

18 Dark_Falcon  Sat, May 18, 2013 7:41:54pm

re: #16 Gus

You should care, Gus, because that young man just did something worthy: He showed the discrepancy between the advertising and the product, which is a serious problem when said discrepancy is that large. He also took the initiative; Instead of stamping his feet, crying, and whining as Glenn Beck does, this kid actually went out and provided strong evidence to support his case.

19 engineer cat  Sat, May 18, 2013 7:46:07pm

…that if gold ruste, what shal iren do?
for if a preeste be foul, on whom we truste,
no wonder is a lewed man to ruste;
and shame it is, if a preest take keep,
a shiten shepherde and a clene sheep…

20 Dark_Falcon  Sat, May 18, 2013 7:51:11pm

re: #19 engineer cat

…that if gold ruste, what shal iren do?
for if a preeste be foul, on whom we truste,
no wonder is a lewed man to ruste;
and shame it is, if a preest take keep,
a shiten shepherde and a clene sheep…

You’re supposed to wait till Jimmah is around to post Robert Burns poems.

/kidding

21 Walking Spanish Down the Hall  Sat, May 18, 2013 7:51:47pm

re: #19 engineer cat

…that if gold ruste, what shal iren do?
for if a preeste be foul, on whom we truste,
no wonder is a lewed man to ruste;
and shame it is, if a preest take keep,
a shiten shepherde and a clene sheep…

Speake English dammit.

22 jaunte  Sat, May 18, 2013 8:01:00pm

re: #19 engineer cat

And if ye vouche sauf that it be so,
Tel me anon with outen wordes mo,
And I wol erly shape me therefore.

23 Dark_Falcon  Sat, May 18, 2013 8:01:23pm

Villain on villain nastiness:

(Reuters) - Egyptian police angered by the kidnapping of seven colleagues by Islamist gunmen kept a crossing into the Gaza Strip closed again on Saturday, stranding hundreds of Palestinian travelers, witnesses said.

The protest began on Friday when police strung barbed wire across the Rafah border post and chained up the gates, local residents said, a day after the abductions.

Gunmen demanding the release of jailed Islamist militants had seized seven policemen and soldiers on a road between the Sinai towns of el-Arish and Rafah. Three of those abducted had worked at the Rafah border crossing, locals said.

“We will not open the crossing until the kidnapped soldiers are freed and the interior minister arrives to listen to our demands so that these attacks on us are not repeated,” one of the protesting policemen said on Saturday.

Hardline Islamist groups in North Sinai have exploited the collapse of state authority after the overthrow of former President Hosni Mubarak in 2011 to launch attacks across the border into Israel and on Egyptian targets.

24 ProTARDISLiberal  Sat, May 18, 2013 8:02:20pm

re: #20 Dark_Falcon

Gonna leave again but, Clara just became one of my favorite companions.

Walked to what she thought was her death very willingly to save a good friend, shattering herself into a bunch of tiny pieces.

Although, now we have the Noctor.

25 ProTARDISLiberal  Sat, May 18, 2013 8:03:01pm

What is the arabic name for “Angel of Death?”

26 dragonath  Sat, May 18, 2013 8:03:30pm

Heh, the Powerball website went down.

27 First As Tragedy, Then As Farce  Sat, May 18, 2013 8:11:34pm

My dog seriously needs to quit farting. This is getting entirely out of hand.

28 Vicious Babushka  Sat, May 18, 2013 8:12:18pm

Hmm, if someone updings a spoiler it then gets spoiled in the Spy.

29 ProTARDISLiberal  Sat, May 18, 2013 8:14:19pm

re: #28 Vicious Babushka

I am so, so sorry. Here during commercial break.

30 Vicious Babushka  Sat, May 18, 2013 8:18:51pm

re: #29 ProTARDISLiberal

I am so, so sorry. Here during commercial break.

Who cares?

I just pointed this out as it kind of defeats the purpose of a spoiler. I do not plan on watching the Who series.

31 PhillyPretzel  Sat, May 18, 2013 8:29:05pm

re: #26 dragonath

Pa Lottery website is not responding. Hmmm.

32 engineer cat  Sat, May 18, 2013 8:42:14pm

re: #25 ProTARDISLiberal

What is the arabic name for “Angel of Death?”

re: #27 First As Tragedy, Then As Farce

My dog seriously needs to quit farting. This is getting entirely out of hand.

glad that question got cleared up

33 engineer cat  Sat, May 18, 2013 8:45:20pm

i’m not too keen in seeing the latest version of gatsby as reviews make it out to be glitz-tastic

34 blueraven  Sat, May 18, 2013 9:10:37pm

re: #14 Charles Johnson

Jack Shafer:

Why the Underwear Bomber Leak Infuriated the Obama Administration

That’s a really good article and what I have been thinking since the beginning of this story. It wasn’t the AP story so much that was the problem, but the source of the leak, and the snowball trickling out of more info. We (or someone) get a mole into Al Queda and this leak screws it all up. This is not some government whistle-blower leaking government corruption or wrongdoing. It is a serious National Security issue.

35 Dark_Falcon  Sat, May 18, 2013 9:16:48pm

re: #34 blueraven

That’s a really good article and what I have been thinking since the beginning of this story. It wasn’t the AP story so much that was the problem, but the source of the leak, and the snowball trickling out of more info. We (or someone) get a mole into Al Queda and this leak screws it all up. This is not some government whistle-blower leaking government corruption or wrongdoing. It is a serious National Security issue.

My dad made the same point, and then went on to say how awful the Chicago Tribune’s coverage of the story had been, focusing not on that but at wagging the paper’s finger at the Justice Department.

The reason the story has an anti-DoJ angle is primarily that the media don’t think DoJ should be able to scrutinize them in such a fashion.

36 Amory Blaine  Sat, May 18, 2013 9:17:34pm

Meh no winning numbers for me. Back to work tomorrow.

37 blueraven  Sat, May 18, 2013 9:21:03pm

re: #35 Dark_Falcon

My dad made the same point, and then went on to say how awful the Chicago Tribune’s coverage of the story had been, focusing not on that but at wagging the paper’s finger at the Justice Department.

The reason the story has an anti-DoJ angle is primarily that the media don’t think DoJ should be able to scrutinize them in such a fashion.

They need to find out who is leaking. It is not just the Tribune either. Many republicans are just piling on, when they would normally take the National security side on this. I expect the left to be PO’d, but just once the republicans that are usually outspoken on these matters could defend this administration a little.

38 Dark_Falcon  Sat, May 18, 2013 9:22:24pm

re: #37 blueraven

They need to find out who is leaking. It is not just the Tribune either. Many republicans are just piling on, when they would normally take the National security side on this. I expect the left to be PO’d, but just once the republicans that are usually outspoken on these matters could defend this administration a little.

Has that changed? Charles posted a story a couple days ago about how Republicans aren’t piling on this one.

39 teleskiguy  Sat, May 18, 2013 9:23:36pm

I just wanted to brag to the LGF community about my FIRST (legit) CELEBRITY RETWEET!

Steve Martin the renaissance man, not bad for a FIRST CELEBRITY RETWEET!

OK, sorry for the gloating and interruption. Carry on Lizards.

40 blueraven  Sat, May 18, 2013 9:25:10pm

re: #38 Dark_Falcon

Has that changed? Charles posted a story a couple days ago about how Republicans aren’t piling on this one.

I have seen a few on TV, though I couldn’t tell you their names off the bat. But who is defending the administration?

41 blueraven  Sat, May 18, 2013 9:30:19pm

re: #39 teleskiguy

I just wanted to brag to the LGF community about my FIRST (legit) CELEBRITY RETWEET!

Steve Martin the renaissance man, not bad for a FIRST CELEBRITY RETWEET!

OK, sorry for the gloating and interruption. Carry on Lizards.

NOT bad at all!

42 Dark_Falcon  Sat, May 18, 2013 9:39:47pm

re: #40 blueraven

I have seen a few on TV, though I couldn’t tell you their names off the bat. But who is defending the administration?

No Republican would, not even me. It would make someone a both a RINO to the wingnuts and a ‘fascist’ to the press. It would be political death.

43 ProTARDISLiberal  Sat, May 18, 2013 9:53:13pm

I want to see the scene of the Doctor talking to and kissing River from the point of view of Jenny, Vastra, and Strax.

It must be the most surreal thing in television history.

All we got to see were the extremely justified WTF faces of Jenny and Strax. And boy were they. To their point of view, he was making out with Thin Air.

44 ProTARDISLiberal  Sat, May 18, 2013 10:02:10pm

And I have a name for it.

Malpractice.

45 NJDhockeyfan  Sat, May 18, 2013 10:04:15pm

Evening lizards! What the hell am I doing up at 1:00 in the morning?

46 First As Tragedy, Then As Farce  Sat, May 18, 2013 10:05:58pm

I was having a fine day until I decided to watch “The Invisible War”.

47 NJDhockeyfan  Sat, May 18, 2013 10:22:31pm

I was going to page this but my iPad wont drag the pages bookmarklet.

More troubling news coming out of Syria this morning…

First al Qaeda has control of some oil fields in Syria.

Al-Qaeda’s Syrian wing takes over the oilfields once belonging to Assad

Al-Qaeda’s Syrian wing is helping to finance its activities by selling the product of oilfields that once helped to prop up the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

Meanwhile Assad is getting ready to strike Israel with surface-to-surface missiles aimed at Tel Aviv.

Report: Assad preparing missile strike against Tel Aviv in case attacked again

Syria is making preparations to strike Tel Aviv in case Israel launches another attack on its territory, The Sunday Times reported on Sunday.

The Syrian army has begun deploying advanced surface-to-surface missiles, the report said, adding that it has received orders to strike central Israel in case additional attacks against Syria are carried out.

The Sunday Times said that the information was obtained by reconnaissance satellites that were tracking the Syrian forces. According to the report, Syria was deploying advanced Tishreen missiles which are capable of carrying a holf-ton warhead.

I hope and pray Syria doesn’t attack. All hell with break loose if they do.

48 freetoken  Sat, May 18, 2013 10:25:26pm

re: #43 ProTARDISLiberal

Ultimately in this current run of Dr. Who I suspect Moffet wants to solve the plot problem of the big picture - the Time War and how the Doctor solved it by tying up his home world and the Daleks in a logical contradiction.

I suppose the un-Doctor Doctor is the final incarnation of the Doctor and somehow is the one who decides to let everything be without his interference. That’s what I too away from his declaration that he didn’t have a choice, and he did it in the name of peace and sanity.

At least Moffet got a heavy-weight actor to play the final incarnation.

The big 50th Anniversary special is 23 Nov. We’ll have to wait until then to see how it all works out.

49 NJDhockeyfan  Sat, May 18, 2013 10:27:31pm

Sadly I know nobody in Florida.

50 freetoken  Sat, May 18, 2013 10:29:44pm

One bit of non-spoiler Dr. Who cultural observation - over its 50 years the program has increasingly positioned The Doctor as the substitute Christ for an increasingly non-Christian UK. Even the term “The Doctor” is of course one of the early titles used in the Christian salvation story (i.e. “The Great Physician”), and in the current run since 2005 the stories have been littered with christological references to the Doctor.

51 Targetpractice  Sat, May 18, 2013 10:29:53pm

re: #49 NJDhockeyfan

Sadly I know nobody in Florida.

I’m gonna laugh if it turns out some 80-yr old pensioner won.

52 blueraven  Sat, May 18, 2013 10:34:55pm

re: #42 Dark_Falcon

No Republican would, not even me. It would make someone a both a RINO to the wingnuts and a ‘fascist’ to the press. It would be political death.

Really? It has gone so far that we cant even rally around points of National Security because of politics? At least give the benefit of the doubt. That is piss poor state of affairs if so.

53 freetoken  Sat, May 18, 2013 10:45:35pm
54 ProTARDISLiberal  Sat, May 18, 2013 10:52:28pm

re: #48 freetoken

That cannot be possible.

Eleven is already familiar with whatever Malpractice is. He is (we need a name to refer to the Doctor that refers to just the regeneration, not the Doctor as a title. It’s either something from the Time War, or something before it. He sounds like an embittered old warrior, right down to the "I did what had to be done."

However, Doctor Who, by its own rules, now has an end. We saw the Doctor’s Grave/Tomb. Fixed point.

The series has a definite end. And we now know as well that the Valeyard is something yet to come.

55 ProTARDISLiberal  Sat, May 18, 2013 10:58:09pm

Also, one little thing about the episode:

Clara wasn’t born to save the Doctor. She choose to. She chose to die to save someone she loved, in the process smashing herself into a million tiny pieces. River tried to stop it, Clara didn’t care an ounce. Just went on ahead.

Only reason she didn’t die was the Doctor was having none of it.

And that is how we were introduced to Malpractice.

56 freetoken  Sat, May 18, 2013 11:33:33pm

re: #54 ProTARDISLiberal

The thing about Dr. Who is that the series has run for so long with so many writers that there really are no “rules”. When the current writer wants to re-do history they just write in another enigmatic loop.

The un-Doctor Doctor, played by John Hurt, has to be either the first or last incarnation of the being. It could be the first, before he decided to take on the role of "The Doctor". Or, it could be the last, when he gives up trying to save people/planets.

The Doctor has had many "fixed points" before, but the character has repeated many times that time can be re-written.

Remember, Rose re-wrote the entire universe, changing the timeline so that the Daleks didn’t destroy her and the Doctor, and changing the laws of the universe so that Jack Harness can’t die.

Way back when Tom Baker was the Doctor an entire season was dedicated to the "Keys of Time", in which The Doctor steps outside the universe, so to speak, and interacts with a very Daoist-like concept of God in a personage of Order and Harmony, who orders the Doctor to find the Keys of Time to make sure they don’t fall into the dark hands of the opposite force, Chaos.

With the current 2005 series The Doctor has already been at the beginning of the universe, and the end.

One would think all of these things would be "fixed" in time… but I suspect the writers could find ways around them.

I do note that Rose makes a reappearance in the 50th anniversary show, even though she is supposedly in another universe now. If the writers can re-bridge universes, pretty much anything can happen.

57 Amory Blaine  Sun, May 19, 2013 12:03:35am

GOP: Tie tuition to voting

Ohio Republicans want to force universities to grant in-state tuition to students from other states if the schools provide documents that allow the students to register to vote in Ohio, a move that could cost universities millions.

Republicans in the House, who included the provision in the state budget now under consideration in the Senate, say they’re trying to streamline the system.

Critics say the amendment really is designed to prevent universities from making voting easy for out-of-state students - who traditionally disproportionately vote Democratic.

58 Sol Berdinowitz  Sun, May 19, 2013 12:15:38am

re: #5 dragonath

Afghan legislators block law protecting women

Religious freedom!

/

59 sagehen  Sun, May 19, 2013 12:27:11am

re: #18 Dark_Falcon

You should care, Gus, because that young man just did something worthy: He showed the discrepancy between the advertising and the product, which is a serious problem when said discrepancy is that large. He also took the initiative; Instead of stamping his feet, crying, and whining as Glenn Beck does, this kid actually went out and provided strong evidence to support his case.

Also…

An 11-year-old did investigative journalism, and wrote/produced/edited/released a documentary. That’s his college admission secured.

60 freetoken  Sun, May 19, 2013 12:35:07am
61 freetoken  Sun, May 19, 2013 12:50:05am

I’m not a big Brahms guy - so much of his work seems overly stuffed, as if he’s got way too much in there and it’d be better if it was slimmed down.

Nevertheless, here is the second movement to Brahm’s Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra:

62 Dr Lizardo  Sun, May 19, 2013 3:05:54am

re: #25 ProTARDISLiberal

What is the arabic name for “Angel of Death?”

Azra’eil. AKA Malak al-maut.

It’s adapted from Hebrew - same archangel, Azrael.

63 Obdicut is an Obdislut apparently  Sun, May 19, 2013 3:09:23am

re: #16 Gus

More fodder for the yuppie Manhattanite hypochondriacs swilling on red wine, smoking pot, and grilling red meat. Seriously, who cares.

Those people don’t send their kids to public school, nor do those kids have to depend on school lunches. This is about the poor kids in New York getting shit on a shingle.

64 Sol Berdinowitz  Sun, May 19, 2013 3:29:10am

re: #63 Bert’s House of Beef and Obdicuts

Those people don’t send their kids to public school, nor do those kids have to depend on school lunches. This is about the poor kids in New York getting shit on a shingle.

If we expect our children to go out and embrace the great conservative values of self-reliance and individual initiative, we need to give them the education they need to succeed. And it is pointless to try to educate them if they are too hungry to concentrate or too undernourished to develop properly.

Eat that, Ayn Rand.

65 Decatur Deb  Sun, May 19, 2013 4:04:46am

re: #64 Sol Berdinowitz

If we expect our children to go out and embrace the great conservative values of self-reliance and individual initiative, we need to give them the education they need to succeed. And it is pointless to try to educate them if they are too hungry to concentrate or too undernourished to develop properly.

Eat that, Ayn Rand.

Useless to address this to the Randians—you used the words ‘we’ and ‘our’. They do not speak your language.

66 Sol Berdinowitz  Sun, May 19, 2013 4:20:31am

This is true.

But basically, until we develop a way to hatch out fully-formed adult humans who can be fitted with a basic education chip implant and sent forth to realize their potential in the competitive marketplace, we as a race will always be dependent on each other to some degree.

I just want to see a social and economic system that reflects this and not some reactionary dogma invented by a speed-addled, emotionally crippled pseudo-philosopher.

67 Obdicut is an Obdislut apparently  Sun, May 19, 2013 4:37:34am

re: #66 Sol Berdinowitz

One of the main problems with all ethical and economic systems is they largely ignore the biggest factor about humans: we’re biological beings who reproduce, and when we are children we lack capacities we have as adults.

From my work with runaway teens, I always get a twitch when people say something like “The government shouldn’t decide that, parents should.” I mean, sure, some parents should, but some parents shouldn’t. Clearly. Even parents who try their best and work hard at it generally fuck up parenting in some way or another, and those that are selfish or jerks or mean or irresponsible fuck it up even more.

We’re imperfect. That’s why we build systems, and safety nets.

68 Sol Berdinowitz  Sun, May 19, 2013 4:41:51am

re: #67 Bert’s House of Beef and Obdicuts

We’re imperfect. That’s why we build systems, and safety nets.

And our society has changed over the way we developed over millenia. There was a time when it was all but impossible to run away from one’s family and survive.

And face it, we developed to survive not as individuals, but as part of a larger group. we were too weak and vulnerable to face a hostile environment on our own.

And we still spend the first (and often the last) eight to ten years of our lives in a state that makes us highly if not fully dependent on others.

69 Vicious Babushka  Sun, May 19, 2013 5:26:00am

re: #62 Dr Lizardo

Azra’eil. AKA Malak al-maut.

It’s adapted from Hebrew - same archangel, Azrael.

The Hebrew for Angel of Death is Malakh Ha-mavet. The angel is Satan.

70 NJDhockeyfan  Sun, May 19, 2013 5:43:02am

On this day in history, Saturday, May 19, 1962, Marilyn Monroe sang ‘Happy ‘Birthday’ to president John F Kennedy.

71 sagehen  Sun, May 19, 2013 5:58:03am

re: #69 Vicious Babushka

The Hebrew for Angel of Death is Malakh Ha-mavet. The angel is Satan.

Being more educated than I in our religious beliefs and practices, perhaps you can tell me if my grandparents lied to me about a superstition (hey, dad lied about my sickly dog being sent to retire to a farm, and my brother’s overly aggressive dog being sent to Vietnam, they could have lied about this too)… they told me that

The reason Ashkenazis never name a kid junior, that they never name a kid after any living person, is because someday when the Angel of Death gets the name John Doe of the Los Angeles Does on his daily pickup list, he might take the younger one just to be spiteful. And that if you’ve named the child after somebody already dead, then it’s possible when the name comes up on the list, he might in error think “oh, got that one already,” and not bother stopping by for him.

72 NJDhockeyfan  Sun, May 19, 2013 6:00:28am

Ok, who is messing with the trains in London?

73 Vicious Babushka  Sun, May 19, 2013 6:06:29am

re: #71 sagehen

Being more educated than I in our religious beliefs and practices, perhaps you can tell me if my grandparents lied to me about a superstition (hey, dad lied about my sickly dog being sent to retire to a farm, and my brother’s overly aggressive dog being sent to Vietnam, they could have lied about this too)… they told me that

The reason Ashkenazis never name a kid junior, that they never name a kid after any living person, is because someday when the Angel of Death gets the name John Doe of the Los Angeles Does on his daily pickup list, he might take the younger one just to be spiteful. And that if you’ve named the child after somebody already dead, then it’s possible when the name comes up on the list, he might in error think “oh, got that one already,” and not bother stopping by for him.

If that’s what they believed, they didn’t lie to you. Sephardim name a child after a living relative, it is customary to honor a living grandparent by naming a firstborn child after them.

My dad was named after his father. It raised some eyebrows, until we explained that his father died during the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918, while his mother was pregnant.

74 Vicious Babushka  Sun, May 19, 2013 6:09:56am

Off to the swimming pool, bbl.

75 Flounder  Sun, May 19, 2013 6:14:30am

Apparently someone in my house thought that chocolate frosted marble cake would be good for breffist! I will stick to my cheese omelet, for now.
Good morning Lizards!

76 sagehen  Sun, May 19, 2013 6:18:41am

Chocolate cake is absolutely breakfast food.

77 Dark_Falcon  Sun, May 19, 2013 6:23:50am

re: #52 blueraven

Really? It has gone so far that we cant even rally around points of National Security because of politics? At least give the benefit of the doubt. That is piss poor state of affairs if so.

Really really. Any Republican who gave a defense of the president in the Associated Press affair would find himself hated by the non-Internet media, and I mean all of it, from FNC to MSNBC. Coupled with the chants that would follow of “Purge the RINO!!1”, and doing so would be political death.

78 Obdicut is an Obdislut apparently  Sun, May 19, 2013 6:26:48am

re: #77 Dark_Falcon

Because the GOP and the right-wing media have, against all warnings, become completely radicalized and now stand in basic opposition to the US political process itself.

79 Sol Berdinowitz  Sun, May 19, 2013 6:28:46am

re: #78 Bert’s House of Beef and Obdicuts

Because the GOP and the right-wing media have, against all warnings, become completely radicalized and now stand in basic opposition to the US political process itself.

It is a knee-jerk reaction to anything Obama supports.

80 Dark_Falcon  Sun, May 19, 2013 6:35:30am

re: #78 Bert’s House of Beef and Obdicuts

Because the GOP and the right-wing media have, against all warnings, become completely radicalized and now stand in basic opposition to the US political process itself.

It’s not just the right-wing media, its all of the print and broadcast media. The Washington Times is (properly) disliked and disrespected by the Washington Post, but on this issue they’re both ticked off with Obama. The left wing of the media doesn’t like Obama’s anti-leak actions much either, as leaks have been very useful to them in the past.

Thus a conservative cannot ‘defect’ on this issue and get the positive media coverage needed to stay relevant having done so. Thus there is no alternative to opposition to Obama on this one.

81 A Mom Anon  Sun, May 19, 2013 6:40:50am

re: #77 Dark_Falcon

That might not happen to the degree you think it might IF(and that’s a big old IF) the backstory about National Security was made a part of the story. It’s not about the media really either, it’s about where the hell the leak came from. John McCain himself was bitching about the leaks in this administration earlier this year. Not that it would stop him from going on the Sunday shows and trashing the President anyway.

But yes, our media SUCKS big time and always seem to find a way to either make the story about them(the first rule of what not to do in journalism) or go chasing after stupid shiny squirrels instead of leaving their damned air conditioned offices and actually working the story, so you’re probably right. In this case I’d guess a Republican that sided with the administration would probably not make in onto the TV to state their case unless it was to go on Hannity or wherever and be talked over.

82 Romantic Heretic  Sun, May 19, 2013 6:45:15am

re: #7 Gus

Many cheered when the last troops left Iraq. Myself, I will cheer even louder when we leave that hell hole.

If accomplished imperialists such as Britain and Russia couldn’t take Afghanistan amateurs like the U.S. stood no chance.

Sorry, America. But when it comes to imperialism, at least the old fashioned armed kind, you’re not that good at it. The economic sort? That’s where you shine.

semi/

83 Obdicut is an Obdislut apparently  Sun, May 19, 2013 6:49:37am

re: #80 Dark_Falcon

Thus a conservative cannot ‘defect’ on this issue and get the positive media coverage needed to stay relevant having done so. Thus there is no alternative to opposition to Obama on this one.

If you completely lack all sense of shame, ethics, or responsibility to your constituents, yeah.

84 Romantic Heretic  Sun, May 19, 2013 6:50:23am

re: #33 engineer cat

i’m not too keen in seeing the latest version of gatsby as reviews make it out to be glitz-tastic

Buzz Lurhmann directed so I’m not surprised.

I think the first movie of his I saw, Strictly Ballroom, is the best he’s done.

85 Dark_Falcon  Sun, May 19, 2013 6:52:14am

re: #81 A Mom Anon

And if that defector went on Hannity, he’d be followed the next night by some loud Tea Party activist from his state who’d use his appearance to announce:

“Congressman X having supported the president’s unlawful evesdropping is a betrayal of American values! The Republican Party is through with establishment losers like him! Therefore, I’m taking this opportunity to announce my candidacy for his congressional seat. I’m gonna primary him out and remind everyone what happens to RINOs who support Barack Hussein Obama!!1”

86 Obdicut is an Obdislut apparently  Sun, May 19, 2013 6:53:11am

re: #85 Dark_Falcon

And this is what I mean about the GOP having become completely radicalized, even though for years, and years, and years, you were warned that it was becoming completely radicalized and the ‘moderate’ conservatives simply fatuously ignored those warnings.

87 Obdicut is an Obdislut apparently  Sun, May 19, 2013 6:56:44am

Whistleblower allages American Express and Walmart knowingly defrauded customers with an insecure debit card:

courthousenews.com

Gray says he was “tasked with testing the security and performance of the Bluebird payment platform,” and several times informed his superior, (nonparty) Cory Moreira, that a system for running security checks was flawed.

“Gray brought up the lack of security and performance with Moreira and notified Moreira that the Bluebird product was unsafe to use due to its lack of security and the project would be unable to launch on the October date,” the complaint states. “TRS was misleading its customers by not disclosing the security issue. In addition, to the extent that any security breaches occurred, such should have been reported to various governmental entities in California and throughout the U.S.”

The complaint continues: “Furthermore, Gray notified Moreira that there were many offshore contractors working on the Bluebird payment platform without adequate safeguards in place, and that it was possible that a security hole or ‘back door’ had been installed in the Blue bird product by these offshore contractors, yet Moreira refused to address these security issues.”

88 Romantic Heretic  Sun, May 19, 2013 6:58:45am

re: #86 Bert’s House of Beef and Obdicuts

And this is what I mean about the GOP having become completely radicalized, even though for years, and years, and years, you were warned that it was becoming completely radicalized and the ‘moderate’ conservatives simply fatuously ignored those warnings.

The moderates thought the nuts were ‘useful idiots’. They forgot that the step from useful to dangerous is a small one for idiots.

89 Dark_Falcon  Sun, May 19, 2013 7:04:54am

I also feel that what DoJ did was stupid, grabbing records like that. I understand the problem they are trying to solve, but they’d be better off with that problem unsolved than with this having blown up in their faces.

I know what sort of replies will gotten on that point, about how it elevates relatively trivial domestic political matters over important foreign intelligence matters. I agree as far as that goes, but ultimately domestic politics determines who gets to handle foreign affairs and so it is o ultimately greater import.

90 NJDhockeyfan  Sun, May 19, 2013 7:45:51am
91 Sol Berdinowitz  Sun, May 19, 2013 7:58:27am

re: #90 NJDhockeyfan

WTF-itty F-ing F?!?

92 Obdicut is an Obdislut apparently  Sun, May 19, 2013 7:59:29am

re: #91 Sol Berdinowitz

Chomsky is old.

93 Stoatly  Sun, May 19, 2013 8:05:17am

re: #90 NJDhockeyfan

Nobody does Stupid quite as thoroughly as Very Clever People

94 Dark_Falcon  Sun, May 19, 2013 8:05:32am

re: #91 Sol Berdinowitz

WTF-itty F-ing F?!?

Chomsky really thinks Pakistan might have ultimately resorted to nukes after going to war over the Abbottabad Raid.

The possibility of a violent Pakistani reaction was considered by both President Obama and his cabinet. As a result, as the SEALs began their incursion the US brought all its fixed wing aircraft at Baghram and on the John C. Stennis to full armed ground alert, with some already aloft. We then let the Pakistani military and their ISI know we had done so and warned them we’d smash any attempt by Pakistani forces to interfere with the raid, and we wouldn’t limit ourselves to smashing just that.

The result was a severe case of butthurt in Pakistan’s military, but it took no actions to stop the raid.

95 Dark_Falcon  Sun, May 19, 2013 8:06:44am

re: #92 Bert’s House of Beef and Obdicuts

Chomsky is old.

You normally don’t accept that as an excuse, Obdi.

96 sagehen  Sun, May 19, 2013 8:16:35am

re: #94 Dark_Falcon

We then let the Pakistani military and their ISI know we had done so and warned them we’d smash any attempt by Pakistani forces to interfere with retaliate for the raid, and we wouldn’t limit ourselves to smashing just that.

The result was a severe case of butthurt in Pakistan’s military, but it took no actions to stop avenge the raid.

FTFY

We didn’t tell Pakistan a damn thing, until they noticed for themselves (by which time we were already on the way back to base)

97 Stanghazi  Sun, May 19, 2013 8:17:57am
98 Sol Berdinowitz  Sun, May 19, 2013 8:18:18am

re: #96 sagehen

You know that many of them were so pleased with themselves for successfully hiding OBL for so long within spitting distance of their own military academy…

99 A Mom Anon  Sun, May 19, 2013 8:30:27am

re: #97 Stanghazi

Don’t these freaking assholes have enough money that they can just go the hell away so we don’t have to look at their stupid, smug faces anymore? WTF are they on my teevee so often? Gack. Seriously Rummy, go play some golf or raise pigeons or something and STFU.

And also too, why do I need to see commercials for defense contractors and corporate outsourcing companies anywhere on TV? Seriously, like I can afford their services or even need them. Hell, most people probably have no clue what these companies are in the first place.

My mood seems to match the weather this morning.

100 Dark_Falcon  Sun, May 19, 2013 8:31:20am

re: #98 Sol Berdinowitz

You know that many of them were so pleased with themselves for successfully hiding OBL for so long within spitting distance of their own military academy…

They either didn’t care to investigate or they knew Osama bin Laden was in there and didn’t care. Either way, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Robert gates repaid their not caring about where bin Laden was by not caring about Pakistan’s ego being wounded by the Abbottabad Raid.

101 Dark_Falcon  Sun, May 19, 2013 8:33:37am

re: #99 A Mom Anon

Don’t these freaking assholes have enough money that they can just go the hell away so we don’t have to look at their stupid, smug faces anymore? WTF are they on my teevee so often? Gack. Seriously Rummy, go play some golf or raise pigeons or something and STFU.

And also too, why do I need to see commercials for defense contractors and corporate outsourcing companies anywhere on TV? Seriously, like I can afford their services or even need them. Hell, most people probably have no clue what these companies are in the first place.

My mood seems to match the weather this morning.

Defense contractors advertise in order to boost their image with the public. The message of their ads is “We make the products that are used to protect you.” The objective of the ads is to build public support for defense spending.

102 A Mom Anon  Sun, May 19, 2013 8:38:32am

re: #101 Dark_Falcon

This is a recent development though. I never saw those tv ads before the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The American public seriously doesn’t need to be reminded that we have a Dept of Defense, support for that really hasn’t waned that much beyond wanting to ferret out waste and perhaps tone down some of the lobbying that goes on (the revolving door syndrome that’s rampant in Congress). It’s kind of freaky, really.

I live pretty close to Dobbins AFB and Lockheed Martin, trust me, there’s really no need to buy ad space on TV here.

103 stabby  Sun, May 19, 2013 8:49:45am

re: #92 Bert’s House of Beef and Obdicuts

Chomsky is old.

Chomsky was too senile to have a real argument with a decade ago.

If you can find the letters between him and Chris Hitchens you’ll see what I mean. He called Hitchens a liar and propagandist who shouldn’t ever be listened to to because Hitchens quoted Chomsky’s previous letter at Chomsky and Chomsky couldn’t remember or follow his own argument.

104 BigPapa  Sun, May 19, 2013 8:55:27am

Next up: Code Pink and Cindy Sheehan.

105 BigPapa  Sun, May 19, 2013 8:58:18am

Cynthia McKinney? Hello?

106 stabby  Sun, May 19, 2013 9:00:57am

re: #93 Stoatly

Nobody does Stupid quite as thoroughly as Very Clever People

Chomsky’s mathematics of the computer science of parsing and generating sentences from a grammar is very clever, but I’m not convinced that he’s ever been clever in anything apart from that.

107 Obdicut is an Obdislut apparently  Sun, May 19, 2013 9:09:07am

re: #95 Dark_Falcon

You normally don’t accept that as an excuse, Obdi.

Excuse for what?

108 Obdicut is an Obdislut apparently  Sun, May 19, 2013 9:10:28am

re: #106 stabby

Chomsky’s mathematics of the computer science of parsing and generating sentences from a grammar is very clever, but I’m not convinced that he’s ever been clever in anything apart from that.

That’s like saying that Darwin’s theory of evolution is clever, but what else did he do.

Chomsky completely reformed both linguistics and theory of computation; without his theories, programming would be far, far behind where it is now.

In addition, before he got ultra-crunchy, he had completely pertinent political points. His debate against Buckley was important.

109 Mattand  Sun, May 19, 2013 9:22:28am

re: #97 Stanghazi

Who could make this up? Donald Rumsfeld coming on to give his sage take on White House incompetence.

To tie into the discussions of bad media: if we had a truly competent press corps, every single news outlet in this country would be pointing out Rumsfeld’s fuck ups to his face.

110 thedopefishlives  Sun, May 19, 2013 9:30:04am

Morning Lizardim.

111 Sol Berdinowitz  Sun, May 19, 2013 9:32:14am

re: #108 Bert’s House of Beef and Obdicuts

That’s like saying that Darwin’s theory of evolution is clever, but what else did he do.

Chomsky completely reformed both linguistics and theory of computation; without his theories, programming would be far, far behind where it is now.

In addition, before he got ultra-crunchy, he had completely pertinent political points. His debate against Buckley was important.

He came up with the notion of “Freedom from” vs “freedom of”: freedom from hunger, fear and exploitation, the sort of things that Free Market purists do not seem to care about in the least.

112 sagehen  Sun, May 19, 2013 9:38:03am

re: #99 A Mom Anon

And also too, why do I need to see commercials for defense contractors and corporate outsourcing companies anywhere on TV? Seriously, like I can afford their services or even need them. Hell, most people probably have no clue what these companies are in the first place.

My mood seems to match the weather this morning.

1. Was it on Meet the Press or some similar show that members of congress are likely to watch?

2. Was it on a cable news channel that might be more inclined to run favorable stories about a significant advertiser?

113 NJDhockeyfan  Sun, May 19, 2013 9:40:12am

re: #112 sagehen

1. Was it on Meet the Press or some similar show that members of congress are likely to watch?

2. Was it on a cable news channel that might be more inclined to run favorable stories about a significant advertiser?

It was on ‘Here Comes Honey Boo Boo’!

//

114 Bear  Sun, May 19, 2013 9:55:10am

A bit different than the defense contractor ads have you seen the Aflac one where the duck (goose) is in the weight training room? Almost as funny as the old beer ones with the crazy bear.

115 A Mom Anon  Sun, May 19, 2013 10:25:15am

re: #112 sagehen

Late to the parade, sorry. I’ve seen them on at all times of the day, daytime TV on the local ABC affiliate, during the Sunday Yap Shows, even in the middle of the night when I can’t sleep. It could be related to Lockheed and Dobbins being a big part of the economy around Atlanta, but it’s weird. I’ve lived here for 26 yrs, I never saw this stuff until maybe the last 7-8 yrs. It’s not all the time either, it’s like there’s a big ad buy for a couple of weeks and then I don’t see them for a few months, then they pop up again.

116 Hercules Grytpype-Thynneghazi  Sun, May 19, 2013 11:10:40am

re: #111 Sol Berdinowitz

He came up with the notion of “Freedom from” vs “freedom of”: freedom from hunger, fear and exploitation, the sort of things that Free Market purists do not seem to care about in the least.

Really? Chomsky was responsible for this (when he was 12)?

117 stabby  Sun, May 19, 2013 11:24:12am

The only “freedom from” that people seem to be willing to go kill for these days is the “freedom from Jews”.


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